Expert: Azerbaijan Not to Open Embassy in Zionist Occupation Israel Due to Respect for Iran

A senior Azeri military expert and a former parliament member dismissed the US reports about a military alliance between his country and the Zionist regime of Israel, and said Azerbaijan even refrains from opening an embassy in Israel due to its high esteem for the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Azerbaijani military expert Vladimir Timoshenko, a lieutenant general (retired) in the air defense forces and former MP, made the remarks in an interview with News.Az.

Asked to comment on the information made public by the US sources that Zionist Occupation Israel supposedly has an agreement with Azerbaijan on the use of airfields by Israeli aircraft to attack Iran, he said, “It seems to me that this is not the case. What these sources say is not true and cannot be.”

“The government of Azerbaijan will never agree to use the republic’s territory against Iran, even in exchange for a promise of gold mountain, even if the Americans promise us to return Karabakh. I have faith in this,” he continued.

“Notice that because of the respect for the neighborly relations with Iran, Azerbaijan for 20 years has not opened its embassy in Israel,” he added.

He reiterated that a war on Iran would harm Azerbaijan’s interests in different ways.

“We are all aware of what we can face in the event of war in Iran. The influx of a huge wave of refugees, many of which are our countrymen is only one aspect of the problem, let alone the other aspects and consequences of such a war for Azerbaijan.”

Yet, the former general could not evade the question about the assortment of weapons mentioned in the USD 1.6bn worth agreement of Azerbaijan with Israel. The weapons deal includes such types of weapons as anti-ship cruise missiles like Gabriel, which are obviously not directed against Armenia as they are only good for a war in the sea.

In response to the question against whom these missiles as well as unmanned aerial vehicles Heron and Searcher, air defense system of Barak type with 75 missiles and radar EL/M-2080 Green Pine could be directed, the retired general said, “Perhaps anti-ship missiles have a hint to Iran but only a hint in the negotiations on the status of the Caspian Sea.”